Thank you, Mr. Speaker. For something completely different, we'll like the Maytag repair man, we'll go to questions to the Minister of ECC I guess. He doesn't get a lot of questions. We'll give him a chance today.
So, Mr. Speaker, my question for him today is about the Guardians of the Land. Could he describe what the program is, where it is, and how much it's being supported in the Northwest Territories when he describes what it is. Thank you.
Thank you, Member. That was kind of three questions. I will turn to the Minister of ECC.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you to the Member for the questions. The Guardian program is a collaborative program that is I can't speak specifically to the locations at this time, but I would certainly be happy to provide that information to the Member. The Guardian program supports collaborative efforts between the Department of ECC and local Indigenous organizations and governments to work together in the monitoring of activities and wildlife on the landscape. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Minister said he would provide the locations. I'll accept that offer.
Mr. Speaker, can the Minister speak to the specific mandate the territorial government has to support the Guardians throughout the Northwest Territories? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Guardian program is part of Our Lands Our Future document that is the guiding document that identifies protected areas within the NWT. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Not specific in the context of this current budget, although that sort of is the answer, but I'm not questioning the current budget, but what is the program funded with? Where do we get our funding and how much do we fund on this?
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I don't have that specifically open in my business plan document at the time, but I would be more than willing to provide the Member with a briefing. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister of ECC. Final supplementary. Member from Yellowknife Centre.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm curious if the Minister can answer the question with respect to how does a community or region access this opportunity to create a Guardian program? Is there an application, is it an interest of community, is it an interest of a region, etcetera? So can the Minister explain what process to establish them and support them? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Guardian programs are associated with protected areas within Northwest Territories, and those programs are collaboratively engaged with local Indigenous governments. I don't currently have the specifics of how a community would go about applying for that, but I'd be more than happy to provide that information to the Member. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister of ECC. Colleagues, our time is up for oral questions. Oral questions. Written questions. Returns to written questions. Replies to the Commissioner's address. Petitions. Reports of committees on the review of bills.
Colleagues, we would like to have a brief break as the time is been over two hours and our translators need to stretch their legs and get a little refreshment. So we'll have a brief adjournment.
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